Awning belt center support



0, 1943. H. c. HElER 2,326,642

AWNING BELT CENTER SUPPORT Filed Nov. 24, 1941 2 Shets-Sheet l Aug. 10, 1943. H. c. HEISER AWNING BELT CENTER SUPPORT Filed Nov. 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 159/12 LHezlser Patented Aug. 10, 1943 f fl es?- e A; WEN-G CENT I HenryC; Heis'er, Par-ma, Ohio, assighor te 'l he e goers-Rust Astaunflomnany, Cleveland; Girlie; 2;- corporation of ems Appiication-Nevcmber 74 1941, Serial lie-.-tiLi-Sd v. i al CAMALHS.

The invention relates generally to'center sup 'ports for roller awnings, and more particularly toa center support embodyingan endless belt on which the awning roll 'and: the canvas roll'ed-thereon is carried.

Awning rolls vary consi erably in diameter. and the-center support forthe awrii'i'groll shouldaccordihgly be capable of -adjustment to; accommodate and-properly support various sizes-oi xvii-- ing rolls. Also the pitch. of the awning when ex- 10 tendedvaries considerably in; accordancewith the requirements of installation and operation-cf the awning, and'the center. support shouldaccordingly be adapted to meet the requirements in changeoffpitch In awning center supports in whichthe awning roll is-supported on underlying rollers or; upon an endless belt encircling the rollers, thereisa defi nite tendency as the awning is: unrolledx for-the aummg roll-tor ride over the front supporting,

roller; orthe belt at thatpoint; andthis' tendency" causes unduefiifictien between the awnihg frollr. and" the supporting: beltand'co sequ'ent wear on: both the awning-and. the belt.

It is therefore a general ohiect ot the-present;

invention to provide ew-ni-ngrenter support,

which meetsthe foregoing: requirements and evercomes the diihculties oi priorconstructionsl More specifically, it- 92.11 object. to provide a helt center. sopoort-hafvmg;adjusting means'towsd' commodate'varieus sizes awning rolls Another object is tof'provide a belt-center port having adjusting. mean to accommodate changes in pitch of the awning when extended,-

A tur-t is adaptedtotorm anocket innthe bel t l-ng roll! in SUCH-"2.713051 n as tocause of friction andprevent wear on the-belt;

awnih A; still further ebjectis'toprovide ail-awning 40 center support s ich is particularly 'VJGII: adapted for. use i-ncaneawning recess box which housestheewningwhenit isrolleel; I

And final-1y,- i-t is an. object to. provide iproved belt type: center support an: witingroll, which support --is--ees ily installed andod justed. to meetvaryi-ng, conditiohsinsize-and pitch cf awnings r 1 These and-other objectsareaccomplished by the im-prov eats cempri i tion whichlmaybe stated .hgeneral terms: as imeludingv a wall hracket with: an upper guide roller arm adjustable thereon, and-a rclleii'belt support-- ing arm movably mounted thereon, the endless belt for supporting the awning rol -l bei-ngmounted 5 object is to-provide a belt-center sun:

nthe present inven (Ci. E li-4325i on a cradle which isrock-able on the sunpor tingarm. I e I r v Referringto the drawings forming .pa-ht -l iereof,

Figure 1 is sider'elevationpamtly in-ssection-of: one embodiment ofv the improved belt:center'su-p porta-sonl-ine: lHl-l, in-Fig.2; I.

Fig. 2 is a frontelevatior-i thereof withuparts broken-away-.- I e r I 3 is a fragmentary sectional View as on line3- -3 ,-1 -ig .-2 I l Fig. 4=-is -an elevetion View similar to Fig, 1* ct a modified form of centersupport; and

F-igqE-isatront elevationthereoi I Similar nun'ierals refer to; -sim'ilair Tpa-rts throughoutthe drew/ ings-.v j t Referring first to the embodiment of the"i-nven-- Vtion shown in- Figs, 1, 2-famd 3; the improved center: Su portpreferably includes a WaH- -bracketor plate 6- which-is adapted tobe mounted upongasuitable support'by means-of the bolts-or-screws.-7-,z and which hasa cut out portion 6'; Asshown'tliewall bracket is moon ed onwachannel s w hich maybe supported suatmahnerin-anawn ing-recess'boX-. 3 II I 4 At the upper-end of: the 'w Preferably theoverlyingz arm 9 has: an inclined portion H- for con-forming; to the-underside of-the leg-cf the channelB :provided an awning re 'cessbox, although this wouldnot be! necessary if the center supportwere mounted. on adifierent supporting memb nj At the'outer end portionof the underlying Bra. guide roller 12 'isjour naled; said guiderol-ler being preferably journaled' in a bracket l-3 which hasatubular portion I4;

slidab'le' on the arm with! a: set screw l5 screwed into the tubular portion M for securing theguidev roller at any desired, position along? the arm-QL I The inner endof the a-rm Q has'adepending flange portion I 6 which is forked and fits 'dOWn-I I wa-rdly over aholtill: which is screwed into-the: 7 wall bracket Thus by loosening the-bolt 11-3.:

the projecting arm 9- canhe rai'sed orlowered to accommodate differer-i-t sizegof awning rollsand" alsoto -adjust the guide roller V61l7iCfiHyfIt0"aC- commode-ta changes in pitch of the extended I awning; By adjusting thearm 9' vertically-and I the guide; roller 12: horizontally on the arm 9', a wide variation of awning roil' sizes and. changes of pitch'can-beaccommodated: v

Near the lower end-"cf the Wailihra-cket:Eaand all-y' thereof, pr-oject i I the centralpo-rtiorr late-r ears iii} are provided is a yoke to lwhich the underlying I or' -low-er' supporting iflfisw Y loraclsetiiensue-r lying guide roller armygis ac ljustably mountedfor oroi acting. OlltW22Y11VfOV8IZ- the; awning roll: Hlp

pivotally connected as at; 20. The arm i9 is provided at its inner endwith a depending ear 2! through which an adjusting screw 22 is threaded belt rollers 25, the upper run of the belt extending directly from one to the other of said rollers and being adapted to support an awning roll it between the rollers as shown in Fig. 1.

The pivotal connection at 29 is purposely made loose enough to allow a slight rocking movement of the cradle C laterally as viewed in Fig. 2 for insuringthat the upper surface of the belt adjusts itself to the plane of the awning roll it, that is, so that the axes of rollers 25 are parallel with the axis of the awning roll,

The arcuate side bars preferably have inwardly projecting lugs 21 on their inner surfaces, and a transverse plate 28 is supported on and secured to said lugs. Means for pivotally supporting the Preferably, the pivotalconnection at 3lris cated slightlyoff center with respect to belt rollers 25, as shown in Fig. 1, so that by reversing the cradle it can accommodate various sizes of awningrolls.

Means for permitting tilting adjustment of the cradle with respect to the sup-porting arm l9 and 7 for holding the cradle in adjusted position preferably includes a bolt 32 passing through the lower ends' of the'yoke arms 2% and through an elongated arcuate slot 33 in. the outer end of arm l9 below the pivot3l. i

Inthe installation of the improved center support; thegllide roller "12 is removed from the upper arm-9 by loosening the'setscrew 55. where-- upcn'the awning-roll can be inserted and placed upong the 'belt 26. The guide roller E 2 isthen Thus the improved center support provides a simple and effective support for the center of the awning roll between its ends, and provides means for quickly andeasily adjusting the various parts thereof to accommodate changes in the sizes of the awning roll and in the pitch of the awning, aswell as to provide for supporting the awning roll with a minimum of friction as the awning is being unrolled and with a consequent minimum amount of Wear on the awning roll and the supporting belt therefor. t is noted that in this embodiment of the invention the lower supporting arm is can be adjusted up or down by manipulating a single adjusting screw 22, and the cradle can be tilted by adjusting a single bolt 32;

Referring to the modified form. of the improved center support illustrated in Figs, 4 and v5, the general construction of this embodiment is similar to the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and includes a wall bracket 8a adapted to be mounted on a suitable support by means of bolts orscrews la.

4 As shown the wall bracket to is mounted on channel 8a incorporated inan awning recess box, and a guide roller arm'iia is mounted on the upper end'of the wall bracket and conforms to the underside of the upper leg of. the-channel 8a.; The guide roller arm He has a guide roller |2a adjust-ably mounted on its outer end and a set screw 55a is provided for securing the guide roller in adjusted position on the arm 90.. The inner end of the arm 'a, has a depending flange portion Mic which is adjustably'secured to the upper end of the wall bracket 6a by means of a screw Ha, whereby the arm 9a can be raised or lowered t accommodate different sizes of awning rolls or different degrees of pitch in the extended awning.

The wall bracket 6a is provided near its lower end with projectingears l8a located at opposite sides of the wall bracket to which underlying supporting arms 19a are pivotally connected as at 20a, and the supporting arms l9a are'provided with depending ears 2la through which adjusting screws22a are screwed with their inner ends i this embodiment isindicated generally at C' and mounted on the arms and its position as well as thevertical position ofthe arm 9 on the bracket 5. .w. is adjusted to suit the size of the awning roll of pitch of the awning which and the degree desired. a

If further adjustment is required to accommodate the awning roll size or pitch, this is effected by manipulation of the adjusting screw 22 toraise or lowerthe'lower supportarm' l9. when the desired adjusted position is reached, the arm I9 may be firmly held in place by t htening the lock nut 23 on the adjusting screw 22 In order to pocket the awning roll, that is, to cause the upper run of the belt' 28 to rollably support the awning roll between the rollers 25 in such a manner as to counteract the tendency of the awning roll to ride over the front roller. and to produce a minimum amount of friction between the belt and the awning roll. the cradle may be adjusted by manipulating the bolt 32 to slightly tilt the cradle so that the front belt roller is elevated with respect to the rear belt roller.

preferably includes arcuate side bars 24a in the ends of which belt rollers'25a are journaled, and

'an endless belt 26a is wrapped around the belt roller 25a than to the front belt roller 25a. Be- 7 low. the pivots 3|a, the side bars 24a are provided with depending ears 35a which are movably connected to the outer ends of supporting arms I9aby means of bolts 32a-passing through supporting arms I911 requires manipulation of two screws 22c, and rockable' adjustment of the cradle C requires manipulation of two bolts 32a Iclaim:-

1 L'ATOHBI awning center support including a wall bracket adapted for attachment to a support, an overlying arm adjustably mounted thereon, a uide roller mounted on said arm for horizontal adjustment relative thereto, an underlying support arm pivotally mounted on said wall bracket,

means for adjusting said support arm toward and away from said overlying arm, a belt roller' cradle rockably mounted on said support arm,

rollers journaled in the ends of said cradle, an

endless belt trained around said rollers for supin its ends, an endless belt trained around and extending directly between said rollers for supporting an awning roll, and means securing said cradle in adjusted position on said arm.

adjusted position on said arm. l

' 4. A roller awning center support including a wall bracket adapted for attachment to a sup- 1 port, an overlying arm adjustably 'mounted thereon, a guide roller mounted on said arm for horizontal adjustment relative thereto, an'underlying support arm pivotally mounted on said wall bracket and projecting outwardly therefrom, an

adjusting screw in the support arm abutting said wall bracket for raising and lowering said arm, 'a roller belt cradle pivotally mounted on the outer end of said support arm and having rollers wholly supporting an endless belt, and means for limiting the pivotal movement of said belt cradle on said support arm.

5. A roller awning'center supportlincluding a, wall bracket adapted for attachment to a support,

an underlying support arm pivotally mounted on said wall bracket, means for adjusting the position 3. A roller awning center support including a r 7 wall bracket adapted for attachment to a support, an overlying arm vertically adjustably mounted thereon, a guide roller mounted on said arm for horizontal adjustment relative thereto,

7 an underlying support armpivotally mounted on said wall bracket, single means for adjusting said n support arm toward and away from said overlying arm, 'a belt roller cradle rockably mounted on said support arm and having rollers journaled in its ends, an endless belt trainedaround said of said support arm relative to said wall bracket, a'rolle'r belt cradle, spacedrollers-journaled in said cradle, an endless belt wrappedaround said rollers and adapted for supporting an awning roll, means intermediate and spaced at unequal distances from the belt rollers reversably and rockably supporting said cradle on said support 1,

arm, and means for securing said .cradle inadjusted position on said supportarm HENRY c; Hansen rollers and extending directly from one to the;

other of-said rollers for supporting an awning ro1l, I and single means for securing saidcradle in 

